Shawn: $20,000, $40,000, $60,000. THE COST OF SENDING A CHILD TO COLLEGE IS STAGGERING. IT'S SOMETHING I WASN'T PREPARED FOR. Shawn: THIS FINANCIAL EXPERT IS HERE TO TELL YOU, DON'T LET THE NUMBERS SCARE YOU. PARENTS GET CONFUSED, AND PUT THE PROJECT ON THEMSELVES. Shawn: PARENTS ARE BEING PINCHED WITH RISING COSTS AND STRUGGING ECONOMY. Rhonda: AND WE CONTINUE WITH OUR EDUCATION NATION REPORT THAT MAY END THE STRESS LEVELS FOR MANY PARENTS. Ruth: OUR FINANCIAL EXPERT SAID IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY AND NEVER TOO LATE FOR SAVING FOR COLLEGE. THIS MAY OFFER A MORE BALANCED PERSPECTIVE ON INVESTING IN YOUR CHILD'S FUTURE. KEVIN KLINE HAS HELPED THREE OLDER CHILDREN THROUGH COLLEGE. YOU WANT THEM TO GO TO COLLEGE BECAUSE YOU WANT A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEM. Ruth: HE HAS TWO YOUNGER DAUGHTERS WHO MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR HELP WITH TUITION DOWN THE ROAD. THERE'S A GAME PLAN RUFRJ HE WORKS WITH FINANCIAL ADVISOR TOM HAKEEM TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIS MONEY. THE FIRST PIECE OF ADVICE IS STARTING SOONER IS BETTER. THE LONGER YOU WAIT, SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN EVERY YEAR UNTIL YOU SAY, I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT. Ruth: YOU CAN START AS SOON AS THEY'RE BORN. TALK TO GRANDPARENTS AND AUNTS AND UNCLES AND SAY IF YOU WANT TO GIVE MY CHILD SOMETHING, PUT SOMETHING TOWARD THE EDUCATION FUND. RUTH: WHERE DO YOU PUT ALL THE MONEY? HE'S A BIG FAN OF 529 ACCOUNTS THAT ALLOW YOU TO INVEST AND USE IT TAX-FREE AS LONG AS YOU SHOW YOU'RE SPENDING IT ON A SECONDARY EDUCATION. 529s ARE ONE OF THE BEST PLAN. Rhonda: IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY HOW MUCH EVERY FAMILY SHOULD BE SETTING ASIDE. THE KEY IS TO SAVE WHAT YOU CAN AND AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Ruth: THERE ARE OTHER STEPS TO BOOST YOUR SAVINGS. MAKE REGULAR SAVINGS AN AUTOMATIC DEDUCTION FROM YOUR PAYCHECK. IF SOME OF YOUR REGULAR EXPENSES GO DOWN, SHIFT SOME OF THE SAVINGS INTO THE EDUCATION ACCOUNT. AND IF YOU HAVE A SUDDEN WINDFALL LIKE AN INHERITANCE, PUT 10% IN THE COLLEGE FUND. HE EXPECTS HIS DAUGHTERS TO CONTRIBUTE SOME OF THEIR EXTRA MONEY. WHEN THEY GET BIRTHDAY MONEY OR HOLIDAY MONEY, THAT GOES INTO THE PLAN. THAT'S A GREAT FARM LA FOR SUCCESS. Ruth: AND HE WANTS PARENTS TO KNOW, PAYING FOR COLLEGE ISN'T ALL ON YOUR SHOULDERS. THERE ARE THREE PLAYERS HERE: THEM, IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE, THERE'S THE STUDENT, AND THERE'S THE UNIVERSITY, WHO WILL PARTICIPATE. Ruth: AND WHILE THE COSTS SEEM TO BE SKYROCKETING ALL THE TIME, HAKEEM EXPECTS TECHNOLOGY TO GIVE US LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS. 25 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE ON YOUR iPHONE. Ruth: I HAVE THE STORY ONLINE ALONG WITH A LINK THAT COMPARES COLLEGE SAVINGS PLANS.

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